UGH!

Recently, I stayed at the Hyatt Reston, checked in indicating that I wanted points as a welcome amenity, AA miles, and the lounge closed points.

So, the stay (AARP rate) at the Hyatt Reston did not post for a week, and I went to the GP's site online request for nite credit. In the notes section, I explicitly reminded them that I wanted:

AA miles (base)
AA miles (current 2500 bonus)
2500 points for lounge closed
1000 diamond amenity

Not bad for a $82 stay, too bad not during an FFN period. I even had my brother, SIL and their 3 boys join for breakfast - what with the AARP $25 for incidentals, no additional charges save gratuity. Given how high maintenance those boys are when at a restaurant, I tipped generously. (Indeed, I think a fixed percentage tip on a reduced price, difficult child's, meal works a real injustice on the server).

OK, Back on topic.

The stay finally posted, with a night credit and 500 miles (I hope they got the airline correct) This is not the first time something like this has happened, and, indeed, it seems that something requires correct over 50% of the time. As others have commented, manual overrides are common.

I will, of course, call, and I am certain it can be sorted out.

Indeed, I have found the GP customer service agents are as excellent as the automated system for capturing points and miles is lousy. In counterpoint, chez Marriott Rewards, the automated system is as excellent as the customer service agents are lousy.

Please, Gold Passport Concierge, understand that I think this is GP's achilles heel. I hate taking my time, and your excellent CS agent's time, nickeling and diming for a few points here and a few miles there, but that is apparently necessary to get things right.

(mods, if this is more appropriate for the general thread on the website, no offense will be taken with your merging).

Even the FD staff who claim to know how to do this, don't (i.e. using the other bonus box.) It's garbage in/garbage out. Fortunately, it's always pleasant to talk to GP CS.

Seems this is a front desk issue. As noted: "Garbage in, garbage out". The check out agent must complete all the bonus fields and type of credit (points or miles) and most are completely clueless about such matters. But who can blame them when GP itself creates a system that cannot be readily understood?

There are property bonuses which are month and day specific (the G bonuses); then there are even more targeted property bonuses (like the SFO Airport or Buffalo Hyatts); and then the Diamond amenity offset (W code), plus the Club lounge access denial offset (2500 pts)...and now these airline-specific bonuses.

With all of this I am often finding I have to carefully scrutinize my folios as I am being charged for those supposed free Diamond upgrade offerings, particularly at non-Club Hyatts where I can choose a larger room for free.

And then there is the inability to book a reservation with more than one bonus code. The only salvation is that GP agents quickly credit these missing bonuses, but it is a pain to have to audit this program so closely!

As you have noted, and as all of us have also noted, this is unfortunately where GP has been down relative to the other programs. But you know what, in the end I don't really mind fixing things up when they go wrong (about 50% of the time for me), and I'm sure most of us wouldn't mind that too. If they keep the fabulous customer service up, the great promotions and great properties, I don't mind having to fix things up once a month or so. Unfortunately no program is perfect, and if this is the only place where GP lets us down, I'm down with it!

So absolutely true, as I note above.

I find myself, at times, waiting a month or so, identifying what went wrong with crediting for the previous month, making a list and calling CS. This has proven a better use of my time, and I hope GP's time, than doing it piecemeal for each stay.

I am not in IT, but it just strikes me that there would be more ways to fool proof the system. For example, when I use the checkin kiosk and request miles, entering a FFN, more often than not it does not get captured. Auto-Crediting lounge closed points should be easy enough, too. That is, (1) if member is diamond and (2) lounge is closed, then (3) credit 2500 points. G1, G2, and G3 bonuses are attached to reservations, and regularly do not get captured.

In my opinion, this is the one aspect of GP that really would benefit from what seem to me to be simple fixes.

I still love GP, and will take it warts and all!

Good afternoon FTers,

I want to thank all of you for your feedback on ways we can improve the Gold Passport program. The issues that you are having with stays posting correctly, and in a timely manner, is an issue we continue to look into and improve upon. I will be passing along this information to our corporate office and Gold Passport management so they can look further into the issue that many of you are having. In the mean time if you have any current issues regarding your account feel free to PM us. Thanks for your continued loyalty.

Safe travel,

Brock S.

Thank you.

And when you pass that information on I hope you will include what seems to be a consensus that the GP CSR's do a great, professional, job, cleaning up after the automated system's defects. Here on FT, there are boards with endless ranting and kvetching about poor customer service, and community members are not shy to express displeasure. The lack of it on this the Hyatt board is as prominent as the affirmative praise all over the board.

It's been said over and over, but I must add my voice as well. Hyatt CS agents are simply the best. I dread making calls to virtually every other service provider I transact with, usually because I end up talking to someone on another continent that is painfully making his/her way through a flowchart without an ounce of rational thought.

It's always a pleasant experience when I call Hyatt. I don't wait on hold. The agents are pleasant and sound like they WANT to be there helping me out. They understand what I'm trying to accomplish the first time I explain it, and they resolve my issue on the first call.

I understand implementing a reliable loyalty system at hundreds of properties worldwide is a challenging task. I hope that Hyatt is planning to make changes to improve here, but in the meantime, I don't have any problem with the customer service-oriented "just call us to fix it" approach.